Carib Territory, Dominica

L’Escalier Tête-Chien, the Snake’s Stairs.

Carib Indians

I wanted to share a few summery photos on this cold January day. And a thought: There are about 3000 native Carib Indians left in the world. They live in a 15 sq. km (about 3 700 acres) reserve on the Caribbean island of Dominica.

25 Responses to “Carib Territory, Dominica”

Love the first photo – interesting that it’s “Snake’s Stairs” in English but “Tete-Chien” in French! Your daughter looks so completely at home sitting among the Carib – it’s nice to see kids traveling and comfortable with other cultures.

@Leigh – I’ve been to quite a few of the islands and Dominica did seem different from the rest. It’s been a few years since we were there (back in the 90s, actually). Back then, at least, it had much less tourist infrastructure than some of its neighbours, and seemed more geared towards visitors who wanted to hike and be up close with nature.

One of my favorite travel writers, Patrick Leigh Fermour wrote about the a Carribean Island tour just after world war II in The Travel Tree. The Caribs then were more numerous. Ever since I read that book, I’ve been curious to visit Dominica.

@Dick – That’s an interesting question. I haven’t been able to find any numbers, but I think it’s reasonable to assume the remaining 3000 is but a fraction of the original population. The Caribs were displaced by Europeans and most died because of warfare and of diseases they had no immunity for.

They were expulsed from many of the neighbouring islands, e.g. from Martinique (by the French), but were able to hide better on Dominica, since the terrains is so rugged. One source – http://www.avirtualdominica.com/caribs.cfm – also claims Columbus worked the Caribs almost to the verge of extinction.

We took a bus from the town to a Carib village, an hour or more away. The road was a main highway that was under construction – for the entire lenght – and has been for quite a spell. The driver was excellent and never flinched. We toured the village and had lunch, and spent considerable time wiht the ex Carib Chief – a very articulate man. His wife is the tour director/spokes person on the bus, and explaind the country and history – very knowlegable. Their lives appear normal – like those in the states and they get on very well even thought they are out in, what I would call, the wilderness. Nice welcoming people. I encourage anyone interested in the Carib Indians/indiginous people, to take the trip. It is a view of society that few will ever experience on appreciate.

Nice photos. The intricate artwork of the natives looks beautiful and almost reminiscent of what we’ve seen in Central America. Dominica looks quite beautiful and has been on our list of places to visit in the near future.